Milan-Cortina Olympics in 2026 | Kingsbury looking forward to the parallel boss trial
Mikaël Kingsbury was playing golf with star football player Laurent Duvernay-Tardif in the suburbs of Montreal towards the end of June when his cell phone started ringing nonstop in his bag.
Posted at 10:15 a.m.
Kingsbury took him out immediately after the ninth hole, and he found to his surprise that just about everyone wanted to tell him that the parallel bosses event was going to be added to the program of the Milan-Cortina Olympics in 2026.
The 2018 PyeongChang Olympics gold medalist and three-time freestyle skiing world champion said he was literally floating on cloud nine on his back nine.
” I was very happy. I didn’t even care about my golf anymore,” Kingsbury told The Canadian Press. I was hitting my ball without thinking about it, and that’s probably helped me. I was relaxed. »
The dual moguls are one of eight events that will be added to the program of the 2026 Winter Games, and are part of the International Olympic Committee’s (IOC) desire to establish gender balance while limiting access to Olympic Games to approximately 2,900 athletes.
The IOC predicts that 47% of the Italian delegation will be female.
The Canadians are already excelling in most of these events, and Kingsbury will undoubtedly be the favorite going into the parallel boss event.
The 29-year-old from Deux-Montagnes has won three of the last four world titles in dual moguls, and swept all four World Cup events last season.
The parallel boss event consists of competing against two athletes simultaneously on a course, in an eliminatory format. Skiers are evaluated according to the same criteria as the individual event, but they must deal with the pressure of franchising the finish line before their opponent.
“I’ve always loved side bosses, one named Kingsbury. I always find a way to up the pace in parallel moguls.
“We are looking forward to this announcement. She deserved to be added to the program of the Olympic Games. It’s good for sports. It’s good for the show. And I think it’s easier for television to determine who will win, compared to the individual event. »
If Kingsbury was hesitant to embark on another four-year Olympic cycle after winning silver at the Beijing Games last winter, that is no longer the case.
“Yes, my plans have really changed, especially in terms of motivation, explained the Quebecer. I’m super-excited by the prospect of going through another four-year cycle, but that will obviously be the icing on the cake.
“If I stay healthy, I’ll be competitive for another four years. It’s good to have the opportunity to experience at least one boss event alongside the Olympics, and it’s great to have the opportunity to win two more medals,” he added.
Kingsbury, holder of nine career Crystal Globes, won gold in the individual and parallel events at the last two Freestyle Skiing Worlds.